Update intel wifi_drv

[Duss Pirmin]

Hi Stefan

Many thanks for your feedback.

As updating the driver isn't as easy as I have imagined it to be, we are
currently discussing how to proceed.

Best regards,
Pirmin

On 09.09.21 14:34, Stefan Kalkowski wrote:
> Hi Pirmin,
> 
> On Tue, Sep 07, 2021 at 02:14:24PM +0200, Pirmin Duss wrote:
>> Hello Genodians
>>
>> We have an ARM platform with a Intel AX200NGW WIFI module. This isn't
>> supported by the current `wifi_drv`. Support for this module type was
>> recently added to the Linux kernel.
>>
>> If no one has already started upgrading `wifi_drv` I would volunteer to
>> update the driver to the new Linux-device-driver environment.
> 
> Well that is commendable! AFAIK nobody works on updating the WiFi
> Linux-device-driver yet.
> 
>>
>> I would at first create the version for x86_64 which can be tested more
>> easily. If this works I would then create the version for ARM64.
> 
> Yes that makes sense to first update the x86 version.
> 
> However, you have to be aware that there are still some obstacles in
> the way. Therefore, you should be prepared that it will take you
> rather months than just days.
> First the new Linux device-driver environment approach and tooling -
> introduced in release 21.08 - was not yet used with other
> architectures than ARM64. Especially, the emulation environment
> currently works for device-tree drivers only, not PCI devices.
> Moreover, the emulation environment uses the new Platform driver API
> as backend, which currently is available for ARM only. That means you
> will have to invest some time to re-work the new Linux emulation
> approach with the legacy platform driver API for x86.
> 
> Moreover, you need to know that the WiFi driver is a hybrid component
> that consists not only of the Linux device driver part. The
> libc-based wpa_supplicant port is co-located with the Linux device
> driver, and probably its implementation is kernel version dependent
> too. I'm no expert in this area, but you probably have to update the
> wpa_supplicant port concurrently.
> 
> Having said this, of course it would be absolutely great if you update
> the driver to a more recent version.
> 
> Best regards
> Stefan
> 
>>
>> Best regards,
>> Pirmin
>>
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